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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Tuesday was a wild one. I knew it was going to be a blustery day when I was weaving through an obstacle course of wind-tossed garbage cans in the road early in the morning. But the strength of the heavy winds really struck home when later that morning I heard a creaking groan and then a terrible crash; my heavy, tied-down ladder had succumbed to the forces of nature. (Luckily I was on the ground when it was blown over, or I would have been trapped on the roof enjoying the breeze for who knows how long..!)

Hmm, it was time to take this wind seriously. Big sections of trees were getting ripped off and flung into roads...

All over the place, whole trees and limbs were thrown across utility lines, cutting power to various streets...

Shopping carts were tossed around like tumbleweed. (ok, well, not really...)

But by mid afternoon it was getting blustery in a biblical way. The radio declared gusts of over 40mph. Police were scrambling to block off streets and watch over stop-light-less intersections.

But then by late afternoon, just as the havoc and mayhem was reaching a crescendo all around the lower valley, and it appeared that the very heavens were bent on destruction of all of poor man's feeble works...the winds suddenly dissipated, like someone turned off a faucet.

All became calm again, right around sunset.

-possibly the last sunset of 2008, if the predicted snow comes Wednesday...

A fiery beauty to round out another year, for us who remain here to see it come to a close.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

The big move and all it's associated craziness continues. It feels like it's been non-stop for a couple of weeks now, sucking up every minute of free time. But it was so warm Sunday we decided we'd better take an outdoor break, for sanity's sake. To the Norwottuck trail; specifically, the Amherst wetlands end...

There wasn't much for sun out, but the warm temps were steaming up the snow from the double-storm last weekend nicely.

Going over the Notch we considered a quick hike up Bare Mountain, but decided it was a little too late in the afternoon for that. This guy was emerging from that trail in full battle gear as we passed.

We're not to sure how well Kelly would fare on a steep uphill hike right now anyway, being in her current 'condition'...

Getting into Amherst, there were several bikers and runners out on the roads, shaking off their own cabin fevers, and reinforcing the spring-like feel of the day.

The trail itself was walkable but pretty slippery along the middle in most parts, since the state doesn't plow it during the winter.

The whole walk was very silent as far as wildlife was concerned, with hardly a peep from any birds.

It was unusually still, but still beautiful.

We carefully made our way along and took a quick detour down a side trail into the Brickyard Conservation Area. It got pretty muddy but we pressed on, in the hopes of seeing some kind of wildlife enjoying the warm day.

Although the birds were quiet, there was plenty of evidence of other wildlife; with rabbit tracks in the melting snow, other animal trails through thickets and brush, and some fresh beaver work.

Since the conservation area was so mucky and light on visible wildlife, it wasn't long before I had a mutiny on my hands, and was forced to cut the detour short and turn back.

Back out on the trail, it was getting more and more populated, with a runner braving the slippery path, some walkers, and even a couple of intrepid bikers.

Unfortunately, it was time to head back. It was good to get out and stretch the legs again though. We left refreshed and ready to continue our battles back home, with the monsters of relocation...

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

It's few times throughout the year that I feel quite so anxious as when I'm roaming listlessly through Macy's at 11:45 p.m. the night before Christmas Eve, tired eyes darting at every rack, shoe tree and glass case, the mind feverishly yanking at brain cells to miraculously reveal that gift they're sure to want...

I know it's a pathetic scene because I can see the handful of other tired, bleary-eyed men wandering like zombies through the purse and accessory sections, or forking over their overheated credit cards for that uber-expensive piece of jewelry or perfume they can't really afford...We're procrastinators all. We're here tonight because there's just no time left. We've squandered it all, as we do annually, and must buy now or face the empty-handed consequences. Construction workers, accountants, dishwashers, businessmen, rich and poor, we all share the same cursed gene and we're all here tonight to pay the piper.

The final minutes quickly wind down and, in a dazed state, the decisions become somehow easier with the announcement over the PA system that they'll be closing in 15 minutes...finally the mind shuts down completely; Yeah, she'll like that scarf, another pair of slippers, ooh Thinsulate...is that a laser pointer key chain..?

Luckily for us, the loved ones we sheepishly hand the last minute gifts to on Christmas will smile no matter what, and thank us for that sweater they never would have bought for themselves, and discreetly tuck the gift receipt into their pockets...

Monday, December 22, 2008

The computer was wired up, in place, and powered up as soon as time allowed at the new 'in the valley' headquarters. The tower and monitor were up and running, keyboard too...the speakers and printer can wait...the phone jack was jacked in, and now to anxiously stare at each of the DSL modem's green lights as they blink back to life. Power...check. Ethernet...check. DSL...check. Internet..........(come on...come onnnnnn)..........Check..! Whew. Verizon had come through with their scheduling, and the internet interruption during the move was nil.

'in the valley' is back in motion...(knock on wood)...

The new place is much older, a little colder, a little bigger, and much brighter. Lots of windows and a couple great porches. And with old style high ceilings, it feels pretty roomy. More paint and minor carpentry is slated for the near future, but otherwise the new location is ready to go...

There's plenty more stuff yet to move, but things are starting to take shape, and it's feeling more and more like home again, with each new truckload...

The weekend move had been fraught with delays and sidetracks due to the double snow fall and the Christmas shopping countdown. Luckily I had taken Monday off of work, hoping to wrap up the transition and be fresh on Tuesday, but Monday brought it's own detours. I had to take my father to downtown Springfield to take care of some business. We parked next to a freshly snow-coated Court Square.

Before heading back home again, I asked my dad to wait a couple minutes as I reached for the camera. He squinted after me through the car window with a furrowed look of old-world dourness and practicality, as his foolish son sprinted off into the icy park kicking up powdery snow, camera clicking away...I chuckled to myself at what he was probably thinking; there was no time for blogging back in the old country...

The Nativity scene is all set up in the middle of the square for viewing...

But alas, the scene is missing it's main character.

Maybe he's due to arrive on the 25th...

Back home again, I discovered later that evening that one of the many windows offers a decent view to the southwest, where Venus and Jupiter are still dancing in the frigid night.

With Venus so bright and Christmas so near, it's easy to wonder what the star above another nativity scene might have looked like...

Sunday, December 21, 2008

...Ok, last post from 'in the valley's original headquarters...(stop)......Most of the furniture and bigger stuff is moved, and it's looking like a bombed out bunker over here...(stop)......Hopefully, Verizon held up there end of the transition, and have the DSL up and running at the new place, or it might be a few days until I'm able to post again...(stop)...

Saturday, December 20, 2008

The Christmas shopping season is quickly approaching full terror mode, and we needed to take a break from the big move to scratch some items off our gift lists. We abandoned the boxes, steeled our nerves, and set a course in the slush for the nearest retail center, and the dreaded holiday mob scenes...

Sure enough Route 91 at the Holyoke Mall exit, and every other possible access into that maelstrom of merchandising, was clogged solid with panicky bumper to bumper gift-seekers.

We sidestepped the madness and got on route 5, driving north on into Northampton to search out our own purchases where we thought we might find a little more elbow room...

There was plenty of snow on the ground and some still gently falling, large snowflakes that gave the streets a holiday-ey feel as we strolled along and poked into the different shops and stores, looking for that special non-chain-store gift.

Economic nay saying aside, the sidewalks appeared pretty busy at times. Crowds ebbed and flowed down the sidewalks and in and out of stores sometimes in large groups, sometimes in small pairs...

This a capella chorus, the NorthampTones, charmed some of the passer-byes and generated some money for their charity of choice:

If there's one thing this town is good for, it's generating money for the needy. In any manner that will work.

We continued on with the walk-around and continued our browsing/buying as night began to settle in, with most stores staying open later than usual.

Dusk eased into nightfall, and the decorative lights began lighting up all around downtown, picking up the holiday atmosphere where the daylight snow fall had left off.

It was time to head back and continue the grind of moving everything we own. We didn't get all the gift buying done but did take a bite out of the list, and collected some ideas for the slim handful of days that are left...It looks like it's going to be a close one, once again...